


The Hardest Choices...

by Galacticspace97



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, RWBY
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, F/M, Gen, Humor, Infinity Gauntlet, Light Angst, Not Proofread, sequel to the incredibly cursed one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 16:31:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18286052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galacticspace97/pseuds/Galacticspace97
Summary: Since Qrow defeated a large purple individual, Ozpin and his allies have acquired what they believe to be the most powerful weapon in the universe. But who will wield this power and what will they make of this responsibility? Pyrrha Nikos is about to find out.





	The Hardest Choices...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cinip](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinip/gifts).



Lights flashed in the transparent gaps of the elevator cabin as the car descended. Pyrrha nervously looked around. Ozpin, Ironwood, Qrow, and Glynda faced directly forward, the haunting green light casting their features into deep shadow. Pyrrha thought back what Ozpin had told her, not only was the story of the maidens real but their power, _real magic_ , was apparently something Ozpin and his allies had hidden from the world.

“I chose you for your particular abilities” Pyrrha remembered Ozpin telling her, comforting words to hide a heavy burden.

The elevator finally came to rest deep beneath the ground and the doors glided open. Pyrrha was greeted by a massive dark vault and the teachers excited, walking towards the end of the dimly lit hall. Pyrrha hesitantly followed them.

Glynda stopped and turned to face Pyrrha “I’m sure you have questions,” she said.

“Just a few” Pyrrha cautiously understated. Then she continued.

“If I am now next in line to receive the powers of the maiden, then how do the powers choose their host?” Pyrrha nervously asked.

“Through a series of stupid and convoluted rules,” Qrow groaned from up ahead.

“As we understand it,” Glynda corrected, “The maiden powers are transferred upon the death of the previous maiden to the last person in her thoughts.”

“Unless it’s a guy or some old hag,” Qrow interjected. “Then it goes to someone random.”

Up ahead Pyrrha saw a mechanical complex at the end of the vault, its white surfaces harshly outlining it against the dark room it was placed it.  There were two pods attached to the unit. One was empty and in the other was a woman. The group stopped in front of the dais and Pyrrha pushed herself to the front.

“The previous fall maiden,” Ozpin explained. “She was attacked and had a portion of her power stolen, an unprecedented event; fortunately, we were able to save her and keep her in stasis.”

Pyrrha looked over the large machine again.

“And this will transfer those powers to me?” she asked.

Ironwood nodded silently.

Pyrrha turned back to the woman behind the glass, a somber and sickly face stared back up at her. If everything the teachers had told her was true, then this was a burden she had to take. But what would become of her friends, her team? What role would they play in this war? Was she really destined for greatness or was she just another pawn that happened to be in the right place at the right time? The swirl of concerns was suddenly cut short by Ozpin.

“Fortunately, recent developments have made that sacrifice unnecessary.” The professor walked behind the humming contraption.

“A few weeks ago, Qrow dispatched a key enemy agent and acquired his weapon,” Ozpin explained.

Behind them Qrow dry heaved as if he had suddenly recalled a deeply vile and traumatic memory.

Ozpin emerged from behind carrying a large metal box.

“According to legend, this artifact was feared even by the gods.”

Opening it, Pyrrha cringed as she saw a large purple severed arm. Tightly fitted over the hand was an intricate gauntlet, unlike anything Pyrrha had ever seen. Six colored gems were set into sockets at each knuckle and right in the center of the back of the hand.

“You kept it out in the open for weeks?!” Ironwood said shocked.

“Considering we don’t have a Fall Maiden to keep this with other relic, this was the most secure place in the school” Ozpin explained. Then he turned back to Pyrrha.

“We have all agreed that we would wish for you to wield it, we believe that your sense of duty and willingness to sacrifice for others give you an advantage in using its powers.”

“Plus no one has been able to pry the damn thing off of rat bastard’s arm over there,” Qrow added.

Ironwood nodded. “It would probably take a whole squad people in full power armor to remove the gauntlet from the arm if it was still attached to the body.” Ironwood shot a glance at Qrow who wretched again before returning a death glare.

“Your semblance puts you in the unique position of removing and utilizing it,” Ozpin continued.

“And what will this do, what will it cost?” Pyrrha tentatively asked.

Ozpin stared directly at Pyrrha, trying to read her expression before answering. “Everything.”

Pyrrha sighed, when she chose to attend Beacon, she never imagined she would be participating in a shadow war or tampering with divine powers. But that was the duty of a huntress- to deal with what other could not, to stand when no one else would, if she did not have the will to act, who else would? she would not force the burden onto any of her teammates or friends.  Pyrrha looked up.

“I will do it.” She sternly confirmed.

Ozpin nodded in silent approval.

Pyrrha turned back to gruesome sight in the box and focused on the metal. She felt the joints and plates the glove, smoothly hugging the hand it had been made for. Pyrrha tentatively pulled out on a finger with her magnetism. She felt the glove give a little. Bit by bit Pyrrha slowly nudged each finger out of the gauntlet until at last after what felt like an eternity, the limp arm fell out and she was left levitating the gleaming weapon.

“Impressive” Qrow murmured.

Ozpin nodded at her to put it on, but Pyrrha shook her head.

“only when I need to,” she solemnly answered. “I can keep it safe.”

Ironwood interjected. “You’re not seriously going to entrust the MOST POWERFUL WEAPON IN EXISTENCE to a first-year student!”

Ozpin held up a hand, “Pyrrha is one of my best students, this duty is hers now. How she handles it is her choice.” Ozpin looked back over to her and smiled.

……….

Pyrrha and Jaune rushed through the darkened vaults of Beacon following Ozpin. The students wheeled a larger capsule between them, holding the comatose fall maiden. When Cinder had sprung her trap, Pyrrha knew her time to take up responsibility had come, but first, she and Jaune had volunteered to take the fall maiden out of Cinder’s grasp, to bring her to an exit, where an Atlassian airship would hopefully be waiting for them. Jaune pushed the pod, now held on a trolley across the dark tunnels with Pyrrha leading him, barely making out Ozpin’s silhouette. A door opened in front and they banked sharp right before suddenly screeching to a halt as an arrow whizzed down the corridor burying it right in front of them. Two fiery eyes ignited in the darkness and Cinder Fall stepped out of the dim shadows. Without saying a word, she leapt over Ozpin dodging a flurry of cane strikes from the headmaster. Swiveling in midair above the capsule, she let loose a perfectly aimed arrow piercing the glass and skewering the frail figure inside. As Cinder landed on the other side the orange glow of the maiden powers was already coursing into her body.

Ozpin grabbed Pyrrha by the shoulder.

“Take Jaune and do what you have to!” he shouted.

Pyrrha returned a stern nod ran to the other side of the pod, yanking Jaune by his collar out of the way of a fireball, she sprinted down the hall leaving Ozpin to face Cinder.

The two students burst out of the ground at a maintenance hatch in the tower courtyard, pulling Jaune up after her, Pyrrha opened her scroll and tapped a few keys. A few moments later the roar of rockets was punctuated when locker crashed into the cobble a few feet from them.

Pyrrha ran to it and opened it rummaging through piles of schoolwork and loose clothing.

Jaune eyes widened as he realized what she was doing.

“You can’t go back in there! You saw what she can do!” he begged, “You don’t stand a chance!” he begged, expecting to hear Pyrrha say something about her duty, but instead she stood back up holding a massive gauntlet.

“I will with this,” Pyrrha answered.

“wha…what is that?” Jaune managed to stammer out.

“According to Ozpin and the other professors, it is the most powerful weapon in the universe.” She answered.

Then she slipped it over her hand.

Instantly Pyrrha saw the totality of the universe, no of the multiverse. She saw the height of time and the width of space. Every fabric of reality spun around her into a grand tapestry, she suddenly knew things that were not meant to be known, the minds of the beings above her reality, they knew her as the Great One, (did roosters have teeth?). A thousand other questions, answers, and emotions spun in her mind, all of them eventually subsumed by a feeling of calm, only then did she realize she had been levitating. Jaune was staring at her, mouth agape. She was wreathed in a cloak of white light, rainbow streaks coursing across her figure. Slowly she set herself down and Jaune rushed to embrace her.

“What was that!” he cried.

“I….’m alright,” she said unsure of herself. Then she added: “I’m ready now.”

“How does it work?” Jaune asked nervously.

Before she brought her fist up Pyrrha already knew what she was going to do, the gauntlet had imprinted onto her how to use it. With a thought her fist clenched and one of the gems glowed brightly. Instantly a purple pulse swept across the courtyard, vaporizing any Grimm in a hundred meters.

Pyrrha turned back to Jaune and pulled him close.

“I will come back, I promise,” she whispered, before locking lips with Jaune in a passionate kiss.

As the embrace ended, Pyrrha turned towards and tower and Broke into a full sprint. As she crossed over the threshold, she turned back, seeing Jaune’s somber expression, curved the corner of her mouth upwards and returned a smile before disappearing into the darkness of the tower, the six gems trailing a faint afterglow.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> a sequel to the incredibly cursed fic in this collection, and a prequel to "Should've Gone for the Head". Also for Spina


End file.
